San José State University
Justice Studies Department
Course #25246, Section 2, Spring Semester, 2012
Instructor:
Office Location:
Telephone:
Email:
Office Hours:
Class Days/Time:
Classroom:
Pamela Serrano
MacQuarrie Hall, Room 523
(408) 489-6246
pamnserrano@yahoo.com (This email address is checked
hourly Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 6 pm and
Fridays from 9 am to 1 pm)
Mondays, 5:30 pm to 6:00 pm; after each class meeting; and
additional dates and time by appointment only
Mondays, 6:00 to 8:45 pm
MacQuarrie Hall, Room 523
Course Description
This course is designed to give students knowledge of the historical development of the
juvenile court and today’s modern juvenile justice system. There will be emphasis on the
legal processes involving status offenders, delinquent, dependency and dual-status minors
within today’s juvenile justice system. Students will be introduced to the dynamics of the
numerous justice partners, agencies, committees, boards and commissions within this
system and the legal language and terms specific to juveniles. Prevention and
rehabilitation will also be discussed with an emphasis on recidivism among the juvenile
offender population. Controversial topics such as strikes and death penalty sentences for
minors, transfers to adult court, competency-performance concerns and the minimum age
limit for detention of minors will be discussed. Subject material will be presented through
lectures, guest speakers, textbook readings, group and individual activities, special
assignment projects, short videos, online resources and supplemental materials provided
by the instructor throughout the semester.
Course Goals and Student Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have learned the prevailing
trends in offenses and psycho-social and demographic characteristics of juvenile
offenders.
Course Name, Number, Semester, and Year
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Required Texts/Readings
Siegel, L. and Welsh, B. (2009) Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice, and 10th Ed.,
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publ. Co.
Textbook readings will be assigned each class meeting.
Course Grade Assessment:
Special Topic Group Debate
Vocabulary Quizzes
Class Discussion/Participation Activities
Pop Quizzes
1st Writing Assignment
2nd Writing Assignment
Two Midterms and Final Exam (two at 75 pt ea)**
TOTAL AVAILABLE POINTS
50 points
50 points (total)
110 points (total)
40 points (total)
50 points
50 points
150 points (total)
500 points
Class Schedule/Calendar: This schedule is subject to change with fair
notice and how the notice will be made available.
Table 1 Course Schedule
Week
Date
Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
1
1/30/2012
Course introduction, assignment handouts, due dates, syllabus and
textbook review, vocabulary log, group debate sign ups
2
2/6/2012
3
2/13/2012
Concept of Childhood; Extent of Delinquency; Measuring
Delinquency (Chapters 1, 2 & 13)
Social, Community and Environmental Influences on Delinquency
(Chapters 10, 11); group debates
4
2/20/2012
Social, Community and Environmental Influences on Delinquency
Cont’d (Chapters 8, & 9); group debates
5
2/27/2012
Instructor special topics; group debates; 1st midterm exam review
6
3/5/2012
FIRST MIDTERM EXAM
7
3/12/2012
Theories of Delinquency (Chapters 3 & 4); group debates
8
3/19/2012
Theories of Delinquency Cont’d (Chapters 5 & 6); group debates
Course Name, Number, Semester, and Year
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Week
Date
Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
9
3/26/2012
Spring Recess – No Class Meeting
10
4/2/2012
Gender and Delinquency (Chapter 7); group debates; 1st Writing
Assignment Due
11
4/9/2012
The Dependency Court System; Dual Status Minors; 2nd midterm
exam review
12
4/16/2012
SECOND MIDTERM EXAM
13
4/23/2012
The Juvenile Justice (Delinquency) Court System; group debates
14
4/30/2012
Prevention, Rehabilitation and Restorative Justice; group debates;
15
5/7/2012
2nd Writing Assignment Due
Instructor special topics; group debates
16
5/14/2012
Police and Corrections (Chapters 14 & 16); remaining group debates
and instructor special topics final exam review
Final
Exam
TBA
Venue and time to be announced (Finals Week of 5/17 – 5/23)
Classroom Protocol
Students are expected to arrive to class on time, unless arrangements are otherwise
made with the instructor prior to class. Leaving class early may be reflected in
students’ participation points. Students are required to turn off all pagers and cell
phones BEFORE CLASS BEGINS and classroom disruptions in any form will not
be tolerated. Text messaging will not be allowed during class. Laptop computers will
not be permitted in class!!! While lecture slides will be provided to students, lecture
notes will not. In the event of an absence, students must rely on other classmates to
obtain information provided in a missed class. Therefore, it is strongly suggested
that all students make a buddy in class!!!! DO NOT EMAIL THE INSTRUCTOR TO
ASK WHAT HAPPENED IN CLASS!!!!
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Students are responsible for the preservation and reproduction of all their class work.
This means that assignments will not be accepted if turned in late, because they were
misplaced or lost due to computer crashes or printer malfunctions. Assignments will also
not be accepted by email, unless specifically approved in advance by the instructor.
Additionally, students are strongly urged to keep (preserve) all graded assignments
throughout the semester to ensure the instructor’s recording of their grades is accurate
and also to monitor their grade standing in the class. Students may ask the instructor for a
review of participation points earned throughout the semester. This will eliminate
potential misunderstandings about work submitted and grades earned. It will also assist
students in determining if it is necessary to take the final exam. Remember, the lowest
exam grade will be dropped.
Assignments and Grading Policy
Attendance per se shall not be used as a criterion for grading according to Academic
Policy F-69-24.) Students will, however, have an opportunity to earn 110 participation
points throughout the semester.
Students are expected to attend all classes. Make-up assignments will be considered
only for students who miss class because of an emergency or illness AND provide
written documentation for that absence. IMPORTANT: No make-up assignments
will be allowed without such written documentation. All make-up assignments and
due dates must be pre-approved by the instructor.
1. Lecture material outlines and summaries will be provided to students in Power
Point slides. Students can access these slides online at least 48 hours prior to the
next class meeting during which this material will be introduced. Students who do
not have email or online access must meet with the instructor before the second
class meeting to make other arrangements to receive this material.
2. Textbook reading assignments will be announced at the end of each class session.
All students must be prepared to discuss these readings at the next scheduled class
meeting and preparation to do so will be reflected in either the weekly grading for
class participation and/or unannounced pop and vocabulary quizzes.
3. There will be two midterm exams and one final exam (75 points each) and each
will consist of short answer, true or false, fill-in the blank and/or multiple-choice
questions. The lowest exam score will be dropped and only the two highest exam
scores will be included in the final grade (150 points total). ***VERY
IMPORTANT - For this reason, midterm makeup exams will not be allowed
under any circumstances.
NOTE: A review of all material to be included in these exams will be provided to
students at the class meeting prior to each exam. The instructor will also be
available after this class meeting for any students wishing further review of test
material prior to the scheduled exam. Additional group or one-on-one review
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sessions will be considered for students expressing the need. The goal is for
students to learn the material presented in class.
4. Vocabulary Log: Students will be required to maintain and keep current an
extensive vocabulary log, which will further develop students’ knowledge of the
juvenile justice system. The words, terms, phrases and definitions for this log will
be provided to students during class meetings. Students are required to bring this
log to each and every class meeting, as announced and unannounced quizzes will
be given throughout the semester to test students’ knowledge of this material and
to ensure their logs being maintained and are current. Students will also be
required to incorporate material from this log into other class assignments. It is
each student’s responsibility to keep this log current and it is not the responsibility
of the instructor.
5. Students will be required to complete two writing assignments regarding material
covered in class. Each assignment must be typed, two pages in length and singlespaced. The writings must also incorporate material from the vocabulary log. The
topic matter as well as a verbal and written description of the requirements for
these assignments will be provided to students at least three weeks prior to the
writing assignment due dates.
6. Students will be required to participate in a special topic group debate
assignment. This assignment will be introduced to students at the first class
meeting. A detailed written and verbal description of the assignment will also be
provided. Students will be reminded throughout the semester about what is
expected of them in this project and the instructor will be available to assist
student groups in the preparation of this activity upon request. A student sign-up
sheet for this project will be distributed the first week of class. The debates will
begin the third week of class and will be scheduled throughout the semester. This
will be an interactive project and all students will be expected to contribute to the
discussion during each group debate.
7. Guest Speakers: Guest speakers may be scheduled as available and as time
permits. Students may be tested on material presented by these speakers.
8. Announced and unannounced quizzes on the group debate special topic
discussions, vocabulary log, class lecture, lecture slides, textbook readings and
guest speaker information will be given throughout the semester.
9. Participation Points: A maximum of 10 points can be earned each class meeting
through group activities, contribution to class discussion and/or written questions
regarding subject matter presented in class. Students who do not participate can
lose a maximum of 10 participation points per class meeting. There will be no
makeup assignments for participation points.
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HINT: Students will be given opportunities to earn participation points at any
time during a class meeting and this opportunity may be offered at the end of a
class meeting.
10. Community-Based Organizations: Students will be introduced to various
organizations, committees and groups which partner to provide services to minors
involved in the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Students may be tested on
this material.
11. Instructor Special Topics: Material will be introduced throughout the semester
regarding current issues, cases and legislation regarding the juvenile justice
system. It is important to attend class because this material is not taken from the
textbook.
University Policies
Dropping and Adding
Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drop,
grade forgiveness, etc. Refer to the current semester’s Catalog Policies section at
http://info.sjsu.edu/static/catalog/policies.html. Add/drop deadlines can be found on the
current academic calendar web page located at
http://www.sjsu.edu/academic_programs/calendars/academic_calendar/. The Late Drop
Policy is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/aars/policies/latedrops/policy/. Students should
be aware of the current deadlines and penalties for dropping classes.
Information about the latest changes and news is available at the Advising Hub at
http://www.sjsu.edu/advising/.
Academic integrity
Your commitment as a student to learning is evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose
State University. The University’s Academic Integrity policy, located at
http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/S07-2.htm, requires you to be honest in all your academic
course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the office of
Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The Student Conduct and Ethical
Development website is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/studentconduct/.
Instances of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Cheating on exams or plagiarism
(presenting the work of another as your own, or the use of another person’s ideas without
giving proper credit) will result in a failing grade and sanctions by the University. For
this class, all assignments are to be completed by the individual student unless otherwise
specified. If you would like to include your assignment or any material you have
submitted, or plan to submit for another class, please note that SJSU’s Academic Policy
S07-2 requires approval of instructors.
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Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need
to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an
appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential
Directive 97-03 requires that students with disabilities requesting accommodations must
register with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) at http://www.drc.sjsu.edu/ to
establish a record of their disability.
Learning Assistance Resource Center
The Learning Assistance Resource Center (LARC) is located in Room 600 in the Student
Services Center. It is designed to assist students in the development of their full academic
potential and to inspire them to become independent learners. The Center's tutors are
trained and nationally certified by the College Reading and Learning Association
(CRLA). They provide content-based tutoring in many lower division courses (some
upper division) as well as writing and study skills assistance. Small group, individual, and
drop-in tutoring are available. Please visit the LARC website for more information at
http://www.sjsu.edu/larc/.
SJSU Writing Center
The SJSU Writing Center is located in Room 126 in Clark Hall. It is staffed by
professional instructors and upper-division or graduate-level writing specialists from each
of the seven SJSU colleges. Our writing specialists have met a rigorous GPA
requirement, and they are well trained to assist all students at all levels within all
disciplines to become better writers. The Writing Center website is located at
http://www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter/about/staff/.
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